Computer generated virtual worlds are becoming increasingly popular. In many of the computer generated virtual worlds, users interact with one another and participate in communities in the virtual world in real time through a networked system. Environments of this type are sometimes referred to as “virtual reality” or “virtual reality universe” (VRU) environments.
In known VRU environments, an actual or fantasy universe is simulated within a computer memory. Multiple players may participate in the environment through a computer network, such as a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN). Each player selects an “avatar” to represent them in the VRU environment. The avatar may be a three-dimensional embodiment of a man, woman, animal, or other entity. Players send inputs to the VRU engine to move their avatars around the VRU environment, and are able to cause interaction between their avatars and objects in the VRU. For example, a player's avatar may interact with an automated entity or person, simulated static objects or other avatars.
The VRU may take the form of at least one area or environment which is a virtual reality three-dimensional map existing in a computer memory, consisting of elements that may include but are not limited to representations of rooms, outdoor areas, exotic environments, objects, people, animals, robots, avatars, robot avatars, time elements, additional special elements, and activities. Users establish a presence in the VRU by creating or using an avatar, which is a three-dimensional representative of the user in the VRU, and which can be navigated by the user around various environments in the VRU. Single or multiple views of the VRU are displayed to the user on a computer display and user interface software as known in the art. Each user provides input to a computer controlling the VRU using an input device connected to a local node or client, which in turn is connected to the networked computer system. The VRU is shared by all players and participants using elements from the common memory.
The computer system is used to control the action of the avatars in response to user input. For example, avatars may be limited to simply observing the environment or area. But usually, avatars can interact with other avatars, objects, the environment (e.g., walls, floors, roads, lakes, etc.), and automated or robotic avatars within at least one environment.
One of the most challenging tasks of computer graphics is providing a realistic animation of the face and of voluntary and involuntary facial movements. A great deal of effort has been focused on facial movements that accompany speech, while the motions of certain other facial components, in particular eye and head movements, have largely been neglected. These two motions define the gaze behavior of the face. A person's gaze is one essential component of non-verbal communication and social interaction. Human beings generally monitor, either consciously or subconsciously, the eye and head movements of persons they are interacting with. In the real world, eye movement can be an important indicator of an internal emotional or mental state, providing an important stimulus for interesting face-to-face interaction. Adequate stimulus provided by eye movement is currently lacking in simulated face-to-face avatar interactions in VRU environments.
What is needed therefore is a system and method that can overcome these and other limitations of prior-art VRU environments.